Random surfaces and higher algebra

A representation on the space of paths is a map which is compatible with the concatenation operation of paths, such as the path signature and Cartan development (or equivalently, parallel transport), and has been used to define characteristic functions for the law of stochastic processes. In this talk, we consider representations of surfaces which are compatible with the two distinct algebraic operations on surfaces: horizontal and vertical concatenation. To build these representations, we use the notion of higher parallel transport, which was first introduced to develop higher gauge theories. We will not assume any background in geometry or category theory. Based on a preprint (https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08366) with Harald Oberhauser.